


The Rivalry

by homosexualspawnofsatan



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Basketball, Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 21:59:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17129492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/homosexualspawnofsatan/pseuds/homosexualspawnofsatan
Summary: Marco has spent years working his way up the rungs in the world of basketball. Now he has met his match in the form of rival Basketball captain Jean Kirstien. He knows he should focus on making his team win and shutting the arrogant competitor up, but damn he looks hot when he is trying to cool down, and he seems pretty nice off the court. What is a guy to do?





	The Rivalry

**Author's Note:**

  * For [marcoandthebodts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marcoandthebodts/gifts).



> Merry Christmas marcoandthebodts. I do hope you enjoy this, I tried my best to do your idea justice. I am sorry if you wanted certain specfics about the games, but I am not very knowledgeable on the actual game. I do hope you enjoy.

Marco was leading his team in their pregame warmup like he did at every game. The freckled male was waiting to hear back on if he had been accepted into grad school, but for now he would focus on his last season of basketball while getting his bachelor’s degree in veterinary science. He guessed being six foot two had some advantages after all, not anything he had ever considered before this.

 

Initially he had hated being this tall, and basketball. He had only played because his mom wanted him to, but as time went one grew to love the sport. Even when he hated it he was surprisingly good at it. It had come as no surprise that he was captain of every team he had been on after a few years, least of all this one. It had come as a surprise that the college of his dreams, an Ivy League school had given him a full ride scholarship to play basketball for him. Then again, maybe it shouldn’t have.

 

He had always been a good student. Always getting a 4.0 and having amazing SAT and ACT scores ha probably made him rather appealing to every college in the nation. He just so happened to go with the one that had the best veterinary science program in the country. Even now despite his schedule, he managed to pull a 4.0. During the past four years he had even earned a nickname from his team based on the way he was magically able to do everything and still somehow have time to do all his homework and get “As” on everything, and still not be moody all the time, they called him Freckled Jesus.

 

Maybe part of it was a play on the fact that he was a Catholic. Not that he ever really got the joke there either. He wasn’t that Catholic, he seldom even really prayed anymore now that he had grown up. It just didn’t seem as important as it had when he was a kid, he had prayed less as a teen, but he prayed significantly less now.

 

A voice broke his concentration that he had. The captain of the opposing team, a junior from a different college, Jean Kirstein was giving his pregame speech and being arrogant. That really managed to get under Marco’s skin. There was no need for Jean to be like this just because he was going to be captain two years in a row. Marco had worked his butt off to become the captain of this team, and that meant he did not take kindly to Jean being arrogant because he was able to be captain after being a legacy to his team.

 

“Okay guys, we are heading out there, first game of the season. Let’s show these guys what we are made of! We have all been working hard on this on and off season. We can do this, all of us come from high school backgrounds and maybe even before in this game, and we can win this! Get out there and show them what we are made of!” Marco put his hand in the middle as the others put their hands in.

 

“Cornell Big Red!” The hands went up and everyone went where they needed to go.

 

Now Marco stood across from the Jean Kirstien, captain of the Emerson Lions basketball team. Marco was maybe two inches taller than this guy, but that didn’t mean anything when they were about to go at it in such an intense team sport.

 

“You sure your team can handle this?” Jean taunted as he got into position. “Not to be rude, but you guys are really dreaming if you think you can beat my team.”

 

“You guys aren’t the storm, we are the storm.” With that the ball was in the air, and Marco jumped with Jean before ever so slightly knocking the ball to his team’s side of the court, and the game was on.

 

Before he knew it, the game was at half time, and they were tied at 32 to 32. Marco was gulping down water to try and keep himself hydrated despite the intense physical action. He looked across the court. Jean was pouring water over himself, Marco was unsure why, but he actually blushed seeing Jean do that. He couldn’t deny that Jean was attractive, but he should not be thinking about that now. He should be focused on the game.

 

Soon enough he was back across from Jean, who was giving him quite the smirk. Marco had a feeling he was not going to like why. Maybe it was just because this was never a good sign when the opponent was smirking like that.

 

“I saw you staring at me earlier freckles. Did you enjoy the show? I can give you a private one later.’’ The teasing in his voice was obvious as he got into position and made eyes at the ball. There was one way to get the other team off guard.

 

“Shut up!” Beat red cheeks without even having started playing again, this was really embarrassing, that much was for sure. He could hear laughter from both sides of the court, which made it even worse.

 

When the ball went into the air, and he failed to get it on his side This Jean guy was really annoying him now, using such a dirty, yet legal trick to catch him off guard. He wished there was a way to just ignore feelings, but that was not anything that he was familiar with, just having to go with what he could would do for now.

 

The rest of the game was a bit of a struggle, but in the end, Marco’s team wound up getting the victory, but just barely. They managed a 73-72 win, at an away game at that, with a somewhat irritated captain.

 

Marco just fumed in the locker room, hearing the guys tease him about having a crush on the other captain. He finished his shower and changing and just stormed out angrily at the way people were treating him over what seemed to be nothing more than a moment over a guy that was arguably attractive enough to justify it.

 

“Hey captain Bott wait up!” That same arrogant voice from the damn game. Did this really need to be happening now?

 

With the fact that he did stop, and even turned around was a definite yes.

 

“What is it captain Kirstien? I hope you aren’t here to annoy me for some reason beyond my understanding.” There had been captains like that in the past and they really got under his skin, and sometimes lead to near suspensions.

 

“Actually, I wanted to give you this.” Jean’s facial expression had not changed much since the game, despite the loss.

 

It took a few moments for Marco to realize that he had received Jean’s phone number, but he did it. Marco looked down and chuckled. This guy was honestly hitting on him and giving him his phone number after he had just beaten him in a game. This was a but unexpected.

 

Now there was a few choices here, Marco could return this favor, or he could get irritated and destroy this. However, this did not feel much like a jab in his general direction, and he’d have to be crazy to pass on a cute guy like this.

 

Begrudgingly, Marco ripped a piece of paper from the bottom of an orphan blank paper and wrote out his number before handing it over to Jean.

 

“Don’t misuse this Kirstien. I gave this to you because I trust you. Breaking that trust is what would get you on my shit list.” The warning was far from a threat, and he would not react kindly to being taken advantage of.

 

“Relax freckles, I won’t do that to you. You look to kind for that.”

 

With that, the two captains parted ways and Marco headed straight for his bus. He added captain Kirstien’s number to his phone before he put it away again as the others began to pile on their bus and headed back towards their usual college.

 

During the next several weeks, Marco would exchange several texts and long phone calls with captain Kirstien. He would learn that the captain’s first name was Jean, and that he was an only child from a Jewish family and had missed Hanukkah the past few years. Marco did feel bad for him, holidays with the family were important. In exchange, Marco told Jean his first name, and that his family was Cuban in ethnicity and Catholic in religion, and that starting at age ten he had been raised by his mother on her own because his dad died as an on-duty cop in a shootout. He had helped raise his now preteen triplet younger brothers with help of his two older ones, one of which was now a cop that had given Marco a nephew and a niece, the other being a fire fighter that had given him a niece. Surprisingly enough, both of their families were excepting of their bisexual natures. That made life easier on them.

 

They often times ranted to one another about their teams being immature or talked about losses and how they always tried to calculate what they had done wrong and laughed about it. They were both having certain issues in classes as well, despite not having any classes in common, given Jean was a journalism major and Marco was a veterinary science major. They did find it easier to at least vent, especially on their midterms. Those where vicious.

 

Before Marco knew it, he was home for winter break, his next game was not until after Christmas. Getting home was definitely the hardest challenge most years, but usually he made it on time. The previous year he had been home right on Christmas eve, that was an issue to say the least.

 

What happened when he got home he should have expected but did not, that was what he got for being a middle child and open with who he was talking with more than anyone else, who he viewed as his best friend now, but that word meant nothing to his younger siblings and even his older siblings.

 

“Marco has a boyfriend! Marco has a boyfriend!” The voices of Richard, the youngest, Matt, the antagonist, and Damian the ring leader sounded over Marco’s own laughter when the family dog was licking his face out of existence.

 

When he managed to wriggle away he groaned as he wiped his face and allowed his voice to raise. “Mom the smalls are taunting me already.”

 

“You three, stop teasing Marco about his incredibly handsome boyfriend.” Betrayal, even his mother was getting in on the tease Marco train, and over him being best friends with a rival team captain.

 

“Come on guys, just because Marco is dating a guy that looks like a horse does not mean we tease him over it.” John’s voice sounded from the couch, where he had his daughter Agathe in his lap and his wife next to him.

 

“Screw all of you.” Marco joke as his oldest brother Aden approached with his wife Rosa and their children Mateo and Alazne.

 

“Hey Marco, I am taking you to the game.” The seeming innocent smile of the oldest Bott was soon crushed when Marco opened it up and the tickets where to the game Jean would have in Miami in two days.

 

“Hope you like seeing your boyfriend.” He teased and then laughed as Marco took Mateo while the rest of the family laughed at him.

 

“At least you’re on my side.” The boy was already pulling at his cheeks for some reason and laughing.

 

“Uncle Marco cheer extra loud for your boyfriend!” The laughter that came from Mateo afterwards shocked him.

 

“You’re supposed to be on my side!!!! Arrgggg.” Marco sighed as the laughter continued. This was going to be a long, long break.

 

Two days later, they were filing into the stadium. It was kind of nice, just being with his oldest brother again. Not having anyone else to intrude on that private and alone time. They made their way into the stadium, got their refreshments, and then sat down to watch.

 

They had a bit of fun, but for some reason, Jean disappeared at half time. Marco sensed something was wrong and went to find him. It wasn’t hard, Jean was hiding out near the locker rooms.

 

“Jean what is wrong? Why are you hiding back here?” Looks of concern traveled from the freckled male to Jean.

 

“I don’t want to screw up and disappoint you! We have talked about seeing each other in the playoffs, maybe even in the last national game. I think I am going to screw up and I just can’t!” He whimpered.

 

Marco kissed him deeply, then pulled back.

 

“Did that help any?”

 

Jean took a few deep breaths, and then nodded. “Yes Marco, thanks…I have question, can we make it official after this game? I really like you….”

 

Marco laughed. “Yes, now go out there and kick Miami’s ass!”

**Author's Note:**

> This was actually really fun to write, I just hope I did okay with characterization with this all said and done.


End file.
